08:55 A.M. February 4, 4086 A.D.

The Void

Alcee Salva

A white flash streaked across the void and an orb of aurora materialized, emitting rays of hazy purple lights. It swayed back and forth, seemingly dancing as if doing a ritual. Inside the pitch-black dimension, it frolicked in the air, stopped its movement and moved towards Alcee.

Now what?

He was confused, marveling at the sight as the aurora flickered in the air. Afterwards, it quivered and grew into a height of almost 5 feet, forming a silhouette of a man. It was like an apparition, dwelling between the lines of reality and fantasy. Small, black orbs – 12 in total – revolved around it, like moons on a planet. The orbs collided with each other forming a conglomerate. Shimmering, it dissipated in a flash, and what remained in its place was a black heart, throbbing as if it was alive. The silhouette moved and grabbed the heart, when all of a sudden, the silhouette became Alcee. He was now holding it!

He never expected in his wildest dreams that such a gruesome thing would happen, yet, the reality betrayed his expectation. The black heart was profusely bleeding, and the blackness was now dyed slowly with a red crimson taint. Suddenly, the heart emitted a dazzling light, the world stood still, and rays of light rendered him sightless. Soon the blinding light was gone, and images started to form in front of him.

A 3D film! Is this someone’s memory?

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

The room was vacant and small, like an attic, and only a candle illuminated the place. At the center of the room, a table was neatly placed and two chairs were prepared. A girl listlessly walked, as if she was waiting for someone. Her magma-red hair flowed like a moving water, creating a picturesque scene. She pouted her lilac lips, and placed her hands on her slim waist, thumping her feet. Then suddenly, a knock could be heard from the door, breaking the eerie silence of the room.

“Chelia! Chelia! Are you here?”

Chelia swiftly opened the door, and let the man came in. “What took you so long, Derric? I thought you have forgotten our plan.”

Derric put his bag on the table and took off his hat, revealing a mature yet handsome face. “Sorry, I’ve met some problems getting hold of the book, but, he he he, this book is definitely worth the trouble.”

Beaming, she walked towards the table, sat on the chair, and tapped her fingers. “Of course, this is a forbidden key, and it’s a top rank at that.” She rummaged the content of the bag, and took out a glossy book embossed with sapphire and jade. “I don’t know why it is forbidden, but anything that will make us is worth getting.”

As he heard this, Derric scratched his head and smiled sheepishly at her. “So are you ready to do this? We can’t back out now.”

“I know,” she flatly answered. She took out a vial from her pocket and grinned. “Dispelling the protective charm in this book is really tricky. We can’t make even a single mistake. And we should do this as swiftly as possible; we don’t want to invite more trouble, okay. Now prepare the gemstones while I prepare the array.”

Without much talking, Derric and Chelia started to move. Derric took out the red Demon Crystal from the bag and laid it on the table. With a needle, he pricked his finger, letting his blood drop onto the crystal. He also started chanting, ‘Ora mhen zhen ghin’. The Demon Crystal started to glow, shivering slightly, as if getting excited.

Chelia opened the vial and laid it on the floor. She sat on the ground and casually chanted 'Ora mhen zhen gin’ while doing some hand signals, activating some magic. Red vapors rose out of the vial, and Chelia, with the help of some magic, guided the vapors, letting it drift towards the book, absorbing it completely.

“Do it Derric.”

Derric threw the Demon Crystal onto the book, hoping that it would succeed. Upon contact, it produced a soundless puff of black air, disintegrating the Demon Crystal completely. The bluish and greenish hue that glinted on the book’s cover started to fade away, slowly losing its luster. Finally, the insignia was gone: the dispelling process was now complete!

Chelia and Derric looked at each other, grinning from ear to ear. Even without talking, they already knew that they were successful in their attempt. Sitting on the chair, they carefully opened the book, and the words that they first saw were…

Onzhee Lhen Kil Mengzhu!

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

What a weird scene.

Onzhee Lhen Kil Mengzhu?! What’s that supposed to mean?

As he pondered, a black wisp appeared before him. It hovered in the air and suddenly spoke with a cold voice.

“Since you are seeing this, I assume that you are now 15 years of age.”

“I am just but a spell cast by my master when you were just a baby.”

“My job is to relay the truth when you reached the proper age.”

“You are the Key.”

“Treachery will follow you like a faithful dog. Do not give your trust easily.”

“Be wary of androids and the Grandulas, they would kill you if they find out your real identity.”

“Even people will look for you.”

“Do not ever tell anyone what you saw today.”

“Do not reveal to anyone who you are.”

“Look for your sister, Elena.”

“When you see her, you will know that she is your sister.”

After talking, the black wisp dissipated in a flash, leaving without a trace as if it never existed in the first place.

I have a sister? Elena?

I am the key? How come it knows my age?

Who was the black orb’s master?

_________________________________________________________________

10:00 A.M. February 4, 4086 A.D.

The Torture Chamber

Ken Chiaozu

...a big tree...hacked down in half...

...a serpent eating a lion...

...a black heart on an altar...

...twelve arrows intertwined...

...a book held by five golden hands...

...words disappearing...rewritten...burned...

...explosion...a gigantic purging...

...crying...wailing...despairing...

An inaudible sound reverberated across the white world. Moans haunted the desolate place. Amidst the serene universe lies a lump of stone, glowing eerily with a hazy purple mirage. It was terrifying.

It was growing.

It was alive.

SLAP!

Ken was awakened by a strong slap on his face. He opened his eyes slowly, and a young android pacing back and forth across the room greeted him. He heard the pipe dripped, water droplets rhythmically sliding their way down a sheet of metal somewhere. The room was small, and only the flickering bulb illuminated the place.

“Where am I?”

He remembered the final words before he passed out.

God, am I in a torture chamber?

“Well, thank God you’re wide awake,” a grumpy voice haughtily remarked. Ken felt his hair being tugged by someone and saw a young male android with an eye-patch. “Now, confess, who is your master?”

He was still in a daze, yet he knew he had no time to idle and not answer. He feared for his life. This was the last place he wanted to be, and he knew that he was in here with a purpose.

“So you don’t wanna confess, huh? Well, I’d love to get to know you more, you know, he he he.”

Suddenly, the android took out a large needle from a medical kit, and injected it on Ken’s shoulder. He was edgy, wondering what medicine they had administered to him. After a few minutes, he felt waves of energy surging inside his body. His body began to convulse. Feeling as if he was struck by a thousand needles, he screamed. His body spasmed violently, and he couldn’t control his body just like reining a mad bull. The pain lasted for an hour, and wails echoed inside the room.

He was groggy, and his mind and body was exhausted from the intense torture. He felt his hair being tugged again, and heard the same voice, asking “Now, now tell me who is your master.”

“I…I..have no master…”

“Hmmm, so you still don’t wanna confess, huh? Let’s take it to the next level.”

“Stop that, Kerry. That’s not how you should treat our prisoner.”

“Yes, General Lowry.” Kerry approached him and bowed down while giving a low ‘hmph’ sound. “You’re lucky the general’s here.”

An imposing young lad approached them, wearing a scabbard in his waist. He was clothed in a military black garb, and his face revealed an innocence which betrayed his cold voice. “Now tell me, what is your name.”

“My name…is…Ken Chiaozu.”

“Chiaozu?!” The young lad was surprised with his answer. He knitted his brows in a furrow and scowled at Ken. “Do you know Jiang Chiaozu?”

It was now Ken’s turn to be surprised. “Yes, sir. Do you know him, sir?”

“What is your relationship with him?”

“He’s my brother.”

General Lowry rubbed his chin, and an evil grin broke upon his face. Turning around, he called Kerry and whispered something in his ear. Kerry smiled and looked at Ken with a sharp and malicious gaze. He took out a white chip and threw it against Ken’s body. A white radiance enveloped him, and he disappeared.

When the white illumination dissipated, he saw the setting was changed: he was not in the room anymore. The vicinity seemed to be a graveyard!

The graveyard was filled with a macabre scenario. Rotten bodies slowly crawled out of the tombs. Ghastly wails resounded while the wind blew in a rage. The creaking sound from the rusty ancient cast iron gate resonated. The full moon was covered by the drifting clouds, casting the old graveyard into darkness. Grayish headstones dotted the landscape, and tombstones filled the desolate yard. At the middle of it all, a figure was standing.

Why does it seem so familiar?

Ken forced himself to move to take a good look. He was groggy and his body was in agony, yet, he stared at the familiar figure. The shirt, the hair, the shoes, the pants, they all reminded him of someone close to his heart. He stood still, his eyes were reddened, tears streaming his eyes. His heart beat faster, and he tried closing his eyes as if he was trying to wake himself from the nightmare, wishing that it wasn’t real. Yet, the truth loomed in his mind, this was the reality.

Brother? What have they done to you?